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The 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in America

The thought of death or injury on the job doesn’t usually cross the minds of many office-dwellers. We are the lucky ones. There are a slew of occupations that, without the help of any extraordinary circumstances, claim the lives of many workers each year.

Things have improved greatly over the past decades, however. In fact, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began tracking fatal occupational injuries 19 years ago, 2009 was the safest year on record with 4,551 fatal work injuries. In good news, 2010 was similarly less deadly with 4,547 fatal work injuries. But the fatality rate of some occupations still remain alarmingly high. Below are the 10 most dangerous jobs in America according to the most recent (2010) figures from the BLS and the fatal work injury rate (per 100,000 workers).

Fishermen (116.0) — In late June, two people died when a 20-foot fishing boat capsized near the top of Alaska’s panhandle. A third person was able to climb on top of the overturned skiff where he waited for rescue. As the BLS states, “this occupation is characterized by strenuous work, long hours, seasonal employment, and some of the most hazardous conditions in the workforce.”

Logging workers (91.9) — This occupation repeatedly takes a spot in the top 10 as not only one of America’s, but the world’s, most dangerous jobs. In one recent example, 61-year-old John Hutt, a Colorado logger, cut off his toes after he became trapped under heavy logging equipment. He then drove himself to an area where there was enough cellphone reception to call an ambulance. In the logging industry, he is considered one of the lucky ones.

Airplane pilots and flight engineers (70.6) — It may be hard to believe that working as a police officer is safer than flying a plane, but according to the BLS, this is true. The bureau states that there were 78 fatal work injuries for this industry in 2010.

Mining machine operators (38.7) — The most infamous accident within this industry is undoubtedly the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in April of 2010, which claimed the lives of 29 out of the 31 miners on site. The accident was the worst in the United States since 1970, when 38 minters were killed at Finley Coal Company’s mines in Kentucky.

Industrial machine workers (20.3) — The number of accidents in this field is staggering. In January 2010, a Florida man had his genitals severed off after an accident involving machinery at an Future Foam Carpet Cushion in Orlando. The company was was fined $42,500 by OSHA for 10 serious safety violations.

Super survey – based on (rather) recent data. However, the, by far, most dangerous joib in the US is being President. Quite a significant share of these have been killed “on the job” – in some cases despite rather significant and highly obvious security measures.

Whether or not a job makes the “Top 10” most dangerous, all jobs can become dangerous very quickly. It has been said we are the sum total of our decisions. Hopefully, we make safe decisions when faced with the “perfect storm” of circumstances, regardless of profession.

I am a truck driver, 8th most dangerous job according to your survey. Your article talks about an accident that was the truckers fault; however numberous studies have shown that 80% to 95% of car vs. semi accidents are the car driver’s fault. If people would give us a little more respect and if driver training would teach car drivers some of the difficutlties we face, accidents could be greatly reduced.

I’m a logger, I love how mention is made of “risk management” to make all jobs safer.
Evidently the person writing this never set foot on a logging job, fishing boat, or farm.
There is just a certain amount of risk that can’t be managed. It’s part of the job to know the risk.

I love how for a reason of why truck driving is dangerous they put using a cell phone causing the death of a family. Yes some truck drivers do things they shouldn’t as do all drivers. Most accidents are caused by someone in a regular car. Truck driver accidents are nothing in comparison to that. I drive for a living and don’t do such a thing as play with my phone while driving. Banning the phone from a truck driver completely when that’s all they have to communicate with family and work is ridiculous when there are hands free headsets. Furthermore an example of what truely leads to fatalities is bad weather that we drive through to provide Americans with every need. Truckers never get any respect.

Tierny- Thank you I have many truck drivers in my family and use to be one myself. Cell phones dont cause wrecks its the idiots even truck drivers that dont do what they need to when they need to. Just like guns dont kill people people kill people. Bad weather is a severe cause of truck wrecks/fatalities, four wheelers who dont pay attention and like you said no respect for something that is bigger than they are. Hmmm Think it will ever change? For my family’s sake and all the truck drivers out there(real truck drivers) I hope it does.

In my personal opinion these are all true to an extent. But one of the most dangerous jobs to my knowledge has been left off this chart, iron work. I am a journeyman iron worker and I’ll be the first one to let you know I work beside people all day long that has many missing fingers and toes and often you see other body parts missing. Some cases of deaths in my line of work come from cranes falling over or rigging on loads being poor to the weight. But over all most of deaths comes from falls. I work all day everyday atleast 200 hundred feet off the ground. Walking beams that sometimes are only 6″ wide. And nothing around to catch yourself when you fall. I think someone needs to rethink this and add this craft. Because I know there is many people that would back up my opinion and agree with me when I say it should be in the top 5

Hey not to be rude check your facts try the sunshine hardrock mine in Idaho. That is the worst mining accident in us history and mining despite explosives, heavy equipment and that fact that between steel and rock flesh will always loose, mining is one of the safest jobs trailing in past the 15th most dangerous in the us…..

In the morning of May 2, 1972, a fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine. According to the US Mine Rescue Association, 91 workers died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning; 83 men were rescued, 81 on May 2 and two on May 9. The mine was closed for seven months after the fire, which was one of the worst mining disasters in American history and is the worst disaster in Idaho’s history. Today, a monument to the lost miners stands beside Interstate 90 near the mine.

Yes that is a quick quote from wiki but it is fact. I am a miner and as part of our training is to study that accident as well as coming from two mini.g families.. The heat from the fire was nominal but human flesh came off the bone like a cooked chicken no one was burnt but they succumbed to the toxic air. Afterwards the bodies slow cooked in the days that followed. The mine rescue team reported this as they were recovering the bodies.

Worst of all like in previous wars entire families were lost since father, sons uncles and cousins all worked the mine as it is in many mining communities. So that is the worst mining accident in US history since 1970 and in all of US history. Thanks for your time….

Not only is truck driving featured on this list of fatal work injuries but truck drivers also have an increased risk of heart attacks, depression and cancer. Add this to the general truck driving related issues as severe back problems and strains and you have a very under appreciated and underpaid section of our workforce.

I am a logger, before that a builder, and before that a line clearence tree trimmer. I am having a hard time believing that a fisherman has a more dangerous job then i do. Everyday i risk my life with every tree i cut there is a constant danger every minute of every day. Not just when waves get to big. I dare any fisherman to come in the woods where the real men work and tell me that there job is more dangerous then mine. I know that these facts are based on average deaths to the amount of workers there are but in know way should there be one job ahead of logging. If you think there should be one, come try it and then you will see what real danger is.

On all honest truth, there is not one job that is designed for the human body. Face it we work with all types of materials and chemicals. Do not cry because your job is not number one be glad that you do not have to work how the fishermen do. On all respect to Jared but seriously check your facts out or go to the army and fight for our country.

Really look at the whole list, most of these jobs take very little education. Having worked in fishing, mining, and logging in Alaska for over 30 years there are quite a few idiots in these trades. Risk management is a joke. I have never seen a risk manager managing the hotshot who makes the place more dangerous for everybody. These jobs would be a lot less dangerous if their were minimum education requirements. By the way, I have a masters degree in mechanical engineering.

We truck drivers have people in cars deliberatly TRY to get us killed on a regular basis , we dont get upset at people that just make mistakes (we all do ) but people speeding up to block us from changing lanes and passing us only to repeatedly hit their brakes trying to get us to hit them etc. ask any truck driver , idiots TRY to cause wrecks ( they should be charged with assault at the least ) We have to keep our cool or you would see a lot more pictures of 80,000 pounds sitting on some criminally idiots roof !!!

I’m amazed that construction related jobs are not in the list, but the statistic tells it all. Being at the sea is way far more dangerous for the factor that nature is uncontrollable and indeed stronger than men.

I don’t think they consider military a job or odviosly they would be one. To reply to a comment that line workers should be on there. They usually deal with power outages so there would be no power… Anyway they go with the facts on deaths and nope line men are not there. Maybe you should go out on that fishing boat